Occupy Writers Is Your Favorite Authors in Support of the Occupy Movement

Jamie’s Team Pick:

The Occupy Wall Street movement continues to grow, now reaching out to an even broader audience through these tv commercials. In support, Occupy Writers is a group of authors who have joined together in the continually growing list on Occupywriters.com under the following banner:

Visiting OWS reminds me of Utopian Socialists in the 19th century, Anarchists in the 20th, the alternative consciousness politics of the 1960s– a deeply human, American and global impulse to reach for total transformation. I also think to my own experiences with social revolution: The abortion rights movement, feminism, gay liberation, AIDS activism and my current commitments to the Palestinian queer movement. As someone who has seen, and therefore believes in paradigm shift my instinct is with the sequencing of action that Dr. King talked about in his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” and that was used successfully by ACT UP. First, self-education to be the expert who truly understands the mechanics of how change can be made. Then a proposal for change, rooted in this knowledge, that is doable, winnable and reasonable.

Rachel Maddow spoke with author Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) about Occupy Wall Street and his contribution to Occupy Writers in this clip which also includes the brilliance that is the bike powered generators being used at Zuccotti Park for power after having their generators confiscated by the City.

Some of Snicket/Handler’s wisdom:

“Fortune” is a word for having a lot of money and for having a lot of luck, but that does not mean the word has two definitions.

It is not always the job of people shouting outside impressive buildings to solve problems. It is often the job of the people inside, who have paper, pens, desks, and an impressive view.

Historically, a story about people inside impressive buildings ignoring or even taunting people standing outside shouting at them turns out to be a story with an unhappy ending.

Follow @OccupyWriters on Twitter, or submit your own original material.

Jamie lives in Boston and is currently a PhD student in Global Governance and Human Security at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is a freelance writer and also a team associate for the Boston chapter of Hollaback!.

America used to work. The people had work. The system worked. Hey, EVEN the Congress used to work…(sometimes). God knows, it was far, far, far from perfect – but at least we all had some share in the struggles AND the rewards. But somewhere along the way, we lost our way. And now we seem to have an economy and a political system that works only for the rich. What they call “trickle down economics”… just leaves most of us out in the cold cold rain. We need to get back to what America was, and what it should be, and what it can be. Occupy Wall Street is no longer just a place called Zuccotti Park – Zuccotti Park is everywhere. You can try to pen us in, you can beat us and arrest us, you can mace and tear-gas us , and you can try to “permit” us to death….but you can’t kill an idea. You can’t keep down a people’s hopes and dreams for a better life…..a life with dignity and freedom….for us… for our kids. More power to Occupy Wall Street, as it spreads to every town and city – because OWS is us, and for us, and by us. It comes up from the grassroots, and it lifts us up in turn. With OWS America has found it’s voice, and that voice demands fairness and justice. This land IS our land! AND WE WANT IT BACK! …We want our lives back!… We want our future back! ….So why not take some time, find a quiet place somewhere, and consider this: Each of us has only one brief life…one chance…and many choices. It’s time to choose…and to act. If not now…then when? If not you, then… who? You DO have the power my friend….and the choice is yours.

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